Recent Advances in Intraoperative Lumpectomy Margin Assessment for Breast Cancer

Purpose of Review Successful breast-conserving surgery is predicated on achieving negative margins (no tumor on ink) at the time of initial surgery. This review will summarize currently available intraoperative margin assessment options and then focus on the most promising intraoperative margin assessment modalities that a breast surgeon will likely see in the next decade. Recent Findings Current intraoperative margin assessment options vary in performance, turn-around time, and necessary resources. There are an extensive number of different emerging technologies in varying stages of development, including automated pathologic assessment, traditional and novel imaging modalities, optical imaging, spectroscopy, fluorescence-based imaging, and molecular and nanoparticle-based imaging. There is an unmet need for more effective technology to accurately and quickly determine lumpectomy margin status intraoperatively without requiring significant or specialized resources. In addition, this technology must be low-cost, easy-to-use, and not disruptive to operating room workflow.